“manaaki whenua, manaaki tāngata, haere whakamua”. Which translates to “if we take care of the land and take care of the people, we will take care of the future.”
Many of you may know or be unaware that there are many ancient languages, like Manx Gaelic, that are nearly dying around the world. The last native speaker, 97-year-old fisherman Ned Maddrell of the Isle of Man, passed away in 1974. This language is a poignant example of the global issue of language endangerment.
What about Manchu – is the Chinese language native to Northeast China? From 1636 to 1911, the Chinese Qing Dynasty announced Manchu as an official language. Manchu is becoming endangered because its native speakers have been replacing it with Mandarin, primarily due to social and economic pressures. This is a common trend in many language endangerment cases.
Examples of Dying Languages
- Ainu (Japan): Critically endangered, spoken by a few elderly individuals, and subject to long-standing assimilation policies.
- Nǀuu (South Africa): A critically endangered language with only about eight speakers remaining, although revitalisation efforts are underway. These efforts, which include language classes and cultural events, are a testament to the resilience of the Nǀuu community and the importance of preserving their language. Lengilu (Indonesia): Spoken by only four people in the northeastern region of Kalimantan.
- Tehuelche (Argentina): The language of nomadic hunters, now spoken by the last four speakers in Patagonia.
- Ainu (Japan): Critically endangered, with only a few fluent speakers remaining.
- Ter Sami (Russia): Spoken by only two older adults in the Kola Peninsula, a language that was once prohibited in schools.
- Kayardild (Australia): Flown by only four elderly Aboriginal people on Bentinck and Mornington Islands.
- Yarawi (Papua New Guinea): A language from the Morobe Province used by only one person, with most natives preferring the Binandere language.
According to Ethnologue, 3,193 languages are endangered today. However, with concerted community efforts, we can work towards preserving these invaluable linguistic treasures.
“He iti te mokoroa, nāna i kati te kahikatea” (The caterpillar small, though it felled the kahikatea tree), which encourages persistence and significant achievements from small beginnings.
Today, we are learning to speak Te Reo through daily life, while many Tāngata Turi Māori are slowly learning to read and understand Te Reo before applying it to Te Reo Sign language concepts.
Here are two different Te Reo sign language concepts from two other organisations. Take a good look at the sign language differences between these two Karakia (Prayers) – Timatanga. Timatanga means ‘new beginning,’ a phrase that embodies life, introduction, commencement, and start.
In Ko Taku Reo Education for the Deaf Timatanga –
Te Reo sign language concept.
First line – sign for peace and widespread
Second line – sign for sea, glisten and a different sign for glisten (as greenstone in the bottom hand as a stone, while the top hand is glisten)
Third line – sign for the day and the pathway
Fourth line – sign for respect for each other
fifth line – sign for all together
Second Timatanga from Deaf Aotearoa
first line – sign for peace, wide and spread
second line – sign for whakapapa, precious/treasure/sacred/value/worth and sea
third line – sign for pathway, all and day
fourth line – sign for show, love (Aroha) and respect
Fifth line – sign for all, each other, and show instead of one hand toward outward, then the second hand toward outward, and finally both hands outward, as in pural.
“tātou” means “we” or “us” and katoa means all, we, completely
“With your contribution and mine, the people will thrive. “
Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.
A proverb of shared abundance. It reminds us that a community thrives when each of us brings what we can.
Life in Eureka 